How to bet on rugby

Rugby has been referred to as the “hooligan’s game played by gentlemen”, and this fast-paced, exciting game is certainly that and more. With leagues worldwide and multiple international tournaments throughout the year, rugby union and rugby league offer plenty of betting action to keep you entertained.

In our all-in-one rugby betting guide, you will learn the following:

✔ Why bet on rugby in 2025

✔ The difference between rugby union, rugby league, and rugby sevens

✔ How rugby betting lines work

✔ Different rugby tournaments and leagues you can bet on with PlayNow

Get the latest odds on the Six Nations and more with PlayNow Sports.

Bet on the Six Nations

Where to bet on rugby in Canada

PlayNow Sports is your safe, secure, and regulated betting site for betting on rugby and other sports. Beyond offering competitive odds and promotions, PlayNow is BC’s only legal and regulated online casino and sports betting operator.

PlayNow Sports is Manitoba’s home for safe, secure, and regulated betting on tennis and other sports, offering competitive odds and promotions.

PlayNow Sports is Saskatchewan’s home for safe, secure, and regulated betting on tennis and other sports, offering competitive odds and promotions.

Why bet on rugby in Canada?

With its European roots and fast-paced action, rugby has seen both codes (league and union) grow across the world. Here in Canada, rugby has been around for more than a century. With its popularity growing, the sport is ready for its time in the sun, with some big Canadian rugby moments on the horizon.

Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 - Canada is a favourite to reach the medal round in August after a fantastic third place showing in the WXV 2024 which was held in Vancouver and Langley.
The annual Canada Sevens tournament in March will see the world’s top men’s and women’s 7s players take the field at BC Placein Vancouverin Vancouver.

Unpredictability - Upsets and tight games create the opportunity for exciting action every week across all codes.

Worldwide reach - With the ability to bet on the top professional leagues and international tournaments, you can enjoy wagering on your favorite teams from across the globe.

Variety of markets - PlayNow Sports offers various betting options, including handicaps, total points, and specials.

Rugby union vs rugby league

In the world of rugby, union vs league is a constant discussion and a point of pride for some.

Rugby union

Rugby league

Rugby sevens

Rugby sevens combines a spectacle of fans in fancy dress, some of the world's fastest players, and weekend tournaments that can create memories for a lifetime. A union variant and now an Olympic sport, rugby sevens sees seven-on-seven matches lasting for two 7-minute halves. The beauty of the sevens is you get 16+ games a day, and the open pool play allows for some major upsets and fan favourites to emerge. Whether it is the All Blacks, Kenya, or the Flyin' Fijians, rugby sevens is an exciting and fast-paced betting option. For almost a decade, Canada has been a stop on the HSBC Sevens Tour for both the men's and women's sides. The men's and women's tournaments combine at BC Place for a three-day rugby weekend extravaganza in March, which makes it a perfect time to try out rugby 7s betting.

Major Rugby Tournaments

There are a host of major rugby tournaments, and rugby fans circle these dates early in the year. The Rugby World Cup is held every four years for men and women, and various test matches and organized international tournaments occur during the off years. The biggest of these is the Six Nations, which has England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, and Italy competing for the prestigious championship . Other international features include the Lions Tours, the Rugby Championship, one-off test matches, and other regional championships such as the Pacific Nations Cup and WXV for women.

On the league side, the Rugby League World Cup is held every four years, and a host of one-off and international tours happen sporadically. In addition to the international competitions, the Rugby Football League has two knockout competitions, the Challenge Cup and the 1895 Cup*, along with the annual World Club Challenge, which has the champion of the Super League and champion of the National Rugby League face-off in a winner takes all match. In Australia, the biggest tournament is the State of Origin, which puts New South Wales and Queensland against each other in a best-of-three contest that is full of big hits and bigger emotion.

Major Rugby Leagues

With dozens of leagues worldwide, you can always find a rugby union league to follow and bet on. Some of the top leagues include the Gallagher Premiership in England, United Rugby Championship in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy, and South Africa, Top14 in France, and the European Rugby Champions Cup along with Super Rugby Pacific in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. If you want to bet closer to home, Major League Rugby*, which has teams in the United States and Canada, is also a great option.

The world’s most famous leagues in this sport are the National Rugby League in Australia and New Zealand, and the Super League in England and France. You also have a host of other leagues, such as the Championship and League 1 in England and the French Super XIII.

PlayNow Sports tip: Most of these leagues and tournaments are available to bet on with PlayNow – with pre-match and in-play markets. Outright markets are often available for rugby’s biggest tournaments like the Six Nations, world cups and the NRL. Check the sportsbook for detailed offerings on specific tournaments.

*Markets not available, or limited, with PlayNow.

Rugby betting lines explained

Match Result

One of the most popular options for rugby bettors is match results. This wager is a straightforward bet on who you think will win the game.

Much like hockey and football, match result wagers allow you to choose whether the home team wins or the away team wins.
When using decimal odds, the closer the odds are to 1.0, the more likely the outcome.

Example: Canada is playing the United States in men's rugby union. Canada is hosting the game: the odds for Canada are 1.40, and the odds for the United States are 1.60. the market suggestion is that Canada will squeak out a win on home soil, as their odds are closest to 1.0.

If you place a $10 bet on Canada winning the match and Canada pulls off the win, the payout, including the original bet, would be $14 - giving you a profit of $4.

Match Handicap

Handicaps are a great way to make a David vs Goliath, or in this case, a Canada vs South Africa game in women's rugby, a little more level for the betting market.

PlayNow offers a 3-way handicap that handicaps a home team win, a draw, and an away team win.
A minus handicap means that the team will have to overcome that point disadvantage to win your bet. For instance, if a team is -10.5, they would have to win by 11 points or more for the bet to win.
A plus handicap gives an underdog some wiggle room for your bet. For example, if you bet a +10.5 handicap, the team can win the game or lose by 10 points or less for you to win your bet.
In a draw handicap, you are betting on the home or away team to lose by a number of points.
- A minus handicap represents the away team losing. So, if the cap is -5, the away team needs to lose by 5 to win.
- While a positive handicap represents the home team losing, a draw handicap of +2 means the home needs to lose by 2 points to win.
PlayNow offers multiple handicap options, including exact and alternative handicaps, to gain more value or add a couple of points.

Example: The Canadian women's rugby union team is preparing for an upcoming friendly vs. Romania and are heavy favourites. Rather than taking a low-odd match result bet, you can bet on Canada -21.5 at odds of 2.10. This means that if Canada beats Romania by 22 points or more, your $10 bet will receive a $21 payout, giving you an $11 profit.

Total Points

For those who hate choosing a side, total points are another great option for rugby betting.

You can bet on an exact number of points in a match, or if you prefer, use the set over/under points line.
If the points line is set at 40.5 points, you can take the under and bet that there will be 40 or fewer points or take the over and bet that the game will have 41 or more points.
If you opt for an alternate point total, the odds will slightly adjust based on how far off they are from the main line.

Example: Let's take a Canada Sevens match with Fiji playing Canada in a round-robin game. The line has been set at 27.5 points for the game. If you think that Fiji and Canada will score a lot, then you might want to take the over 27.5, which pays out at 1.42, or if you think that Canada will put on a masterclass on the defensive side of the ball, the under 27.5 pays out at 2.00. You put a $10 bet on the under 27.5, and the game ends 21-5. You would win $20 total, with a profit of $10.

Other rugby betting markets

Total points odd/even

An alternate way to bet on points, total points odd/even, allows you to wager on if the total points of the match are odd or even. It is a simple bet but often leaves you sitting at the edge of your seat until the end of the match.

Draw no bet

An off-shoot of match result betting, drawn no-bet wagers let you only bet on a match winner. If the match ends in a tie, the bet is voided, and your money is returned. This kind of bet is quite popular in multiple markets, but it lowers your odds due to the insurance of a tie. These bets could be great for tight games that you think may not be all solved after 80 or 14 minutes.

Half bets

PlayNow also provides 1^st and 2^nd half betting opportunities. You can bet on the highest scoring half, 1^st half, or 2^nd half total points and 1^st half and 2^nd half winner 3-way.

Tries

Finally, you can also bet on tries. Whether you are looking for total tries in the match or specific try scorers you can bet it. We offer multiple markets for individual try scorers, including anytime, first, last, and even multiple tries.